Filo Looks Confidently Towards 2017/18 with Wool

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Filo Looks Confidently Towards 2017/18 with Wool

Verve and confidence exuded from Filo #45 both in terms of new products offered to the buyers and designers on the often crowded stands in the Centro Stelline in Milan March 2-3, and in the loud and convivial talk in the corridors and formal addresses by the powers that be, including the new president of Milano Unica Ercole Botto Poala. The emphasis is on the middle to top end of the international market where exhibitors are convinced there is still a great deal of demand and room for manoeuvre. The spotlight was firmly on new developments for 2017-18 with many interesting products and shifts in power in the market confidently presented and it was evident that wool is still playing a powerful role in blends and the development of more fancy yarns for knitting and weaving with a great deal of wool in the mix.

The Filo spinners are drawn primarily from Italy and other high quality European sources. In this Turkey is very much included. Customers seek reliable trading partners in times of uncertainty, most of whom are based in Switzerland, France, Germany as well as Italy. Visitors included large prestigious Italian retail groups as well as well known designer fabric producers and pan European fashion outlets who trade across continents. This was more or less the first look for 2017/18 developments in yarns, and in fabrics woven or knitted from these yarns. There was confidence in structure, colour and technical developments with artistic imagination, all evident in the much pored-over trend areas, produced by Gianni Bologna. Colours were deep and bold as well as naturally toned.

Botto Paola’s unique process for wool typified the technological nature of many new yarns; the H2DRY® process giving yarns high wrinkle resistance for travel wear - natural elasticity for lasting performance and most importantly, using a process that takes out body moisture keeping the person dry, underlining the importance of emphasising and enhancing the natural attributes of fibres. Ilaria in turn presented yarns with Superwash wool.

The continuing influence of organic ideas which are well certificated was seen. The new Südwolle-Safil group presented organic lines of zero-environmental impact yarns made with GOTS and IVN Best certified wools, and Bluesign certified production processes. The first combined Südwolle- Safil collection of weaving and circular knitting yarns for FW 2017-2018 made its debut. The yarns are in pure silk and pure wool with Naturetexx Plasma treatment chlorine-free technology developed for machine washable Merino, using electricity and air. Extrafine wool was treated with anti-shrink processes.

Trends included pure wool yarns, including Shetland and specific sheep breeds, such as Gardiner Yarns UK Herdwick, a species of hardy sheep raised in the Lake District of Western Britain. Naturally dyed and richly coloured yarns were seen throughout the exhibition, like the extensive colours of lambswool on the Z Hinchliffe collections from Yorkshire. Such yarns were shown knitted with marl looks, random dye effects and small knops for texture, such as jersey in dark navy with an orange nep, others were smooth but warm, with a simple sophistication as Zegna Baruffa. Natural shades and bright red tones were woven with plaids, new looking tartans, and monochrome effects, much random colour for an individual look. Metallics and Lurex in rich, deep colours, not too shiny, could be combined with nearly every fibre to produce an exotic depth.